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Management Essentials

Course Code: BUSN 1210
Faculty: Commerce & Business Administration
Department: Business
Credits: 3.0
Semester: 15 Weeks X 4 Hours per Week = 60 Hours
Learning Format: Lecture, Seminar
Typically Offered: TBD. Contact Department Chair for more info.
course overview

This course will introduce the student to managerial principles, methods and skills: understanding organizational structure, planning strategy and operations, controlling and leading. Particular attention will be given to managerial decision-making in a complex society.

Course Content

  1. Introduction to Business:  definition, types, Canadian environment.
  2. Information Literacy Skills and Time Management.
  3. What is Management and What do Managers do?
  4. Evolution of Management:  early years, recent years, current trends and issues.
  5. Managing the Organizational Environment.
  6. Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics.
  7. Decision-Making:  the decision-making process, group decision-making.
  8. Planning:  purposes and types of plans, the strategic management process, levels of strategy, business-level strategic frameworks, competitive strategies (Porter).
  9. Organizing:  defining organizational structure and design, building the vertical dimension of organizations, building the horizontal structure of organizations, the contingency approach to organizational design.
  10. The Human Resource Management Process, Labour Relations.
  11. Managing Change:  forces of change, resistance to change, techniques for managing change, contemporary issues in managing change, stimulating innovation.
  12. Organizational Culture.
  13. Organizational Behaviour:  explaining and predicting behaviour, attitudes, personality.
  14. Groups and Teams:  understanding group behaviour, turning groups into effective teams, developing and managing effective teams.
  15. Motivation:  early theories of motivation, contemporary approaches to motivation, suggestions for motivating employees.
  16. Leadership:  behavioural theories, contingency theories, coaching skills.
  17. Communication and Interpersonal Skills:  understanding communication, developing interpersonal skills (active listening, feedback, conflict management, delegation).
  18. Controlling:  the control process, types of control, qualities of an effective control system, information controls.

Note:  The concepts of TQM and the Contingency Approach should be integrated throughout the content.

Methods of Instruction

Lectures, seminars and case discussions.

Means of Assessment

Term Examinations 20% - 30%
Final Examination     30%
Written Case Study(s)            10% - 20%
Research Paper(s) 10% - 20%
Participation 05% - 10%
Public Presentation 05% - 10%

Learning Outcomes


  1. describe the Canadian Business environment within which management takes place;
  2. define and describe the management function processes of planning, organizing, and controlling organizational work activities and how this is accomplished through effective leadership;
  3. analyze roles, skill sets and key performance concepts that are essential to managerial success utilizing a range of learning techniques;
  4. describe the development of management approaches that have contributed to organizational productivity;
  5. analyze and solve management problems;
  6. describe the importance of improving the ability of managers to acquire, comprehend, interpret, and utilize relevant knowledge through proper information management;
  7. practice business writing and presentation skills.

course prerequisites

BC Principles of Math 11 OR currently active in the:
PDD Project Management or
PDD Supply Chain Management or
PBD International Supply Chain Management or
PDD Marketing

curriculum guidelines


course schedule and availability
course transferability




